Lawrence, Kan. (Feb. 26, 2015) – John J. O’Keefe, director of golf course management at Preakness Hill Country Club in Wayne, N.J., has been elected to a one-year term as president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) for 2015.
O’Keefe, a certified golf course superintendent (CGCS), served as vice president of the association in 2014 and has been a member of the association’s board of directors since 2008. A 35-year member of GCSAA, O’Keefe also is a member and past president of both the GCSA of New Jersey and the Metropolitan GCSA.
A native of Pittsfield, Mass., the 58-year-old O’Keefe earned an associate’s degree from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He succeeds Keith A. Ihms, CGCS and golf course maintenance manager at Bella Vista Village in Bella Vista, Ark., who served as president for 2014 and will move to a final one-year term on the board as immediate past president.
Other elected officers were Peter J. Grass, CGCS and superintendent at Hilands Golf Club in Billings, Mont., as vice president; and Bill H. Maynard, CGCS and director of golf course maintenance operations at St. Albans Country Club in St. Louis, as secretary/treasurer.
Three others were re-elected and will continue service on the nine-member board. They are Darren J. Davis, CGCS and superintendent at Olde Florida Golf Club in Naples, Fla., John R. Fulling Jr., CGCS and grounds and facilities manager at Kalamazoo (Mich.) Country Club, and Mark F. Jordan, CGCS and natural resource leader at Westfield Group Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio.
Rafael Barajas, CGCS and superintendent at Hacienda Golf Club in La Habra Heights, Calif., will continue on the board as a director, while Kevin P. Breen, CGCS, was appointed to the board and will serve a one-year term.
Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS and general manager at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, Calif., retires from the board after serving the last year as immediate past president.
2015 Golf Industry Show numbers
Education proved a top priority for superintendents this week in San Antonio. While overall attendance for the Golf Industry Show was slightly down from the 2014 event in Orlando – at approximately 12,400 – the final number of seminar seats sold, as well as exhibit space, was up.
The GCSAA Education Conference, held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show, is the largest educational conference in the turfgrass management industry. A total of 5,385 seminar seats were filled, 12 percent higher than expected and 3 percent higher than Orlando. In addition, thousands attended complimentary forums, sessions and panel discussions throughout the week. Subject matter included agronomics, business, environmental management, communications, leadership, technology, and personnel management.
Jeff Wilson, superintendent at Bandon Dunes Golf Course, Coos Bay, Ore., has been a GCSAA member for 17 years, but was attending his first Golf Industry Show. “I am sorry I waited so long,” he said.
Brian Roth, CGCS at Oquirrh Hills Golf Course in Tooele, Utah, has attended the GIS for six years and says there are still benefits. “There are always new things to see in equipment,” said Roth, a 17-year member of GCSAA. “In education, I took a lot of general sessions. It was nice to have so many sessions to choose from. And I was interested to see how my course setup could affect the growth of the game – especially for women.”
A total of 5,600 qualified buyers attended the two-day trade show, which included 551 exhibitors (a 2 percent increase over projections) covering 182,000 square feet of exhibit space at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. Exhibitors across the board were pleased with the attendance and their interactions with buyers.
“I’ve been coming to the show for 16 or 17 years in a row now, and this is going to end up being my best show ever,” said Robert Thorn, general manager of Inject-O-Meter. “It’s been so busy that I was still working and talking to people until at least a half hour after the show closed Wednesday evening.”
The 2016 Golf Industry Show will head to San Diego, Calif., Feb. 6-11.
In other news from the Golf Industry Show:
• Matt Cowan, superintendent at the Crenshaw Cliffside Course at Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas, won the GCSAA National Championship in a weather-shortened event at Cordillera Ranch Golf Club in Boerne, Texas, with a 1-under-par 71.
• The Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG), the philanthropic arm of GCSAA received a $50,000 grant from The Toro Co. for continued support of the Rounds 4 Research program in 2015 to help further turfgrass research at local universities.
• The EIFG also announced that Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience LP, reached the $1 million level in cumulative support of the philanthropic arm of the GCSAA. Bayer has been supporting the EIFG since 1998 and is the fourth company or individual to reach the milestone.
• GCSAA voted to introduce an equipment manager classification for association membership.
About GCSAA and the EIFG
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is a leading golf organization in the United States. Its focus is on golf course management, and since 1926 GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the U.S. and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to nearly 18,000 members in more than 78 countries. The association’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
The Environmental Institute for Golf is the philanthropic organization of the GCSAA. Its mission is to foster sustainability through research, awareness, education, programs and scholarships for the benefit of golf course management professionals, golf facilities and the game. Visit EIFG at www.eifg.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
About the Golf Industry Show
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) presents the Golf Industry Show annually. It is an innovative trade show designed for the owners/operators of golf facilities, and the professional members of the golf course and club management industries. Featuring its signature interactive solution centers, as well as the largest exhibit floor in the industry, the event combines education, networking and solutions for golf course superintendents, owners/operators, general managers, chief operating officers, architects and builders.
The Golf Industry Show is presented jointly with the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), along with supporting organizations, the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA), the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), the National Golf Foundation (NGF), the United States Golf Association (USGA) and the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association (IGCEMA).
Contact:
Craig Smith, Director, Communications and Media Relations
Phone: 800-472-7878, ext. 4431 or 785-691-9197 (cell)
csmith@gcsaa.org
